Former Bolton Wanderers defender Josh Emmanuel is back in League One after penning a deal with Carlisle United.
The full-back has signed a deal at Brunton Park until the end of the season after spending the last six months on the free-agent list. He has been training with Carlisle for a couple of weeks, and it is during that period he has impressed enough to earn his deal.
“He’s a player who I’ve always liked, if I’m going to be honest. I’ve watched him on numerous occasions, so when I heard that he was available, I asked him to come up,” said Cumbrians’ boss Paul Simpson.
“It was such a contrast to what I’ve experienced with a number of other free agents. Josh automatically said he wanted to come up and train, asked when I wanted him to come in and said he was going to drive straight up. His enthusiasm to come was a real breath of fresh air.
“He’s come in and trained well, and he’s a really good personality. A contract until the end of the season gives him an opportunity to have a look at us and us an opportunity to have a look at him.”
The 26-year-old was on the books of West Ham as a youngster but moved to Ipswich in 2011 aged just 14. He progressed through the ranks at Portman Road, enjoying loan spells at Crawley, Rotherham and Shrewsbury, as well as appearing 23 times for them in the Championship.
His spell at Rotherham saw him play 31 times, winning their Young Player of the Season award, and when his contract with the Tractor Boys came to an end, Bolton were on hand to offer him more third-tier football.
He joined Bolton at a tough time when relegation was almost certain due to a points deduction. He became a key part of Keith Hill’s side, one that battled bravely against the drop.
With The Trotters relegated at the end of the 2019/20 season, he moved across the country to Hull City, helping them to the League One title. Sadly, an illness ruled him out of much of their Championship campaign.
“I was hearing I might never play again, which, thank God, wasn’t the case,” he said earlier this year.
“I was on medication — Warfarin, quite a low dosage — but because it’s a blood thinner, I wasn’t able to play. I stopped taking it in October 2022, though, and thankfully I passed another check recently so they are going to check me every year now.
“We never got to the bottom of why I had the clot, it was very random, and I’m just grateful I’ve recovered.”
Despite Hull exercising an option on his contract, he was sold to League Two side Grimsby Town in January. He was part of the team which reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, before leaving at the end of the season.
He joins a Carlisle side currently 22nd in League One, three points from safety, having played more matches than every other team from 19th down.
Writer’s View
If Carlisle get a fit and firing Josh Emmanuel, they’ll have a player capable of playing at a higher level than League One. He has proven in the past that he is quick, strong and good on the ball, and had he not suffered his illness at Hull, he would almost certainly still be at that level.
It is a risk, but Carlisle need to take risks to get out of the bottom four. With their new investment freeing up some funds, it wouldn’t be a complete surprise to see another free agent joining up with them as we approach the busy Christmas period.
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